Volume beats value again in meat sales

Volume continues to grow ahead of value in meat, fish and poultry sales.

According to the latest Kantar Worldpanel data, fresh primary meat and poultry volume sales grew 2.1% year-on-year in the 12 weeks to 18 July while value sales for the same period dropped 1.3%.

Pork and lamb were the main culprits in terms of falling value sales, seeing a 7.2% and a 6.7% drop respectively. Other red meat buoyed value sales in the sub-category with a 17.1% rise.

On the processed side, bacon value sales dropped 3.5% for the period while volume sales increased 1%. The barbecue season helped grow burgers and sausage volume sales over the 12-week period, increasing 2.2% and 1.7%.

Fresh processed poultry grew 4.4% in value terms and 5.9% in volume terms.Kantar Worldpanel said burgers were growing at a slower rate over the summer than they were across the rest of the year due to promotional activity and questioned whether shoppers were turning to primary meat and poultry or chilled fish for their barbecues.

Nathan Ward, business unit director for Meat, Fish & Poultry said: “Chilled Fish continues to fight deflation with prices rising at an almost double digit rate in the premium categories of Added Value and Shellfish - only Natural Fish is seeing the effects of deflation. 16.8 million shoppers bought Chilled Fish in the last 12 weeks, with Empty Nesters and Retired shoppers accounting for 52% of those shoppers.”